Multiple-engraving machine



G. H. FAICHNEY.

MULTIPLE ENGRAVING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED mm, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i.

lihica/ H T E 'INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY. I

G. H. FAICHNEY.

MULTIPLE ENGRAVING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED m4. 2, 1920.

1,359,242. Patented Nov. 16,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z- INVENTOR.

Gee/7e #Fa/ZAwey A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. A

GEORGE H. FAICHNEY, or WATERTOWN, NEW YoRK, ASSIGNOR To RANDALL- FAICI-INEY COMPANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ,A CORPORATION. or MASSA- CHUSETTS.

MULTIP'LE-ENGRAVING MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920;

Application filed January 2, 1920. Serial No. 349,115.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE H. F AICHNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at ,iWatertown, in the county of Jefferson and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple- Engraving Machines, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in multiple engraving machines, and has for its object to provide a novel, simple and inexpensive mechanism, whereby a plurality of articles of difierent size and shape may be simultaneously engraved with the same characters, and whereby the construction, arrangement and operation of the machine is such that but a single operator is required to operate it. A further object is to provide a multiple engraving machine wherein a plurality of gravitative engraving tools are arranged in pairs, and each pair is controlled in its vertical movements by an arm which is connected to and partially revoluble around the axis of a rocking-bar, the arrangement of said arms being such that a number of them are secured to and actuated by the same rocking bar. A A further object is to provide means for simultaneously releasing all of the. engraving tools so as to allow them to gravitate to the engraving positions, and also means for simultaneously releasing and withholding all of the tools while the work is being changed. A further object is to provide means for moving all of the tools in a common horizontal plane during the engraving'operations. And a further object is to provide means for operatively connecting the machine with a pantographic mechanism, which effects and controls the movements of the machine during the reproduction of the characters from a common copy.

The various features and parts of the invention will be understood from the detailed description which follows, and by reference 'to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a top-plan view of thecomplete machine. Fig. 2 is a frontvside elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a'front end elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of one pair of the 'vieW of one of the arms posts supporting transverse base, and these 7 similar braces 6 whlch are secured respecengraving tools, their supports, and the means for controlling the verticahmovements of said tools, relatively to the work to be engraved. Fig. 5 is a top-plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail which prevents or permits the gravltation of the tools. And F 1g. 7 is a broken detail view; showing the manner of pivotally connecting the tracer arm with the oscillating lever of the pantograph. V

In the drawings, 2 designates the base whlch supports the movable and stationary parts of the machine, the former consisting of one frame 3, the latter comprising two independent frames 4 and 5. The frame'4 7 comprises a number of posts 4, which are rigid on the base, and which mark the four corners of the frame, the corresponding 7 bars 4, which are secured rlgldly to the posts by screws 4". The facing edges of the bars 4 are rabbeted to receive a horizontal platform 4, which is adjustable on the guides 4 by screws 4. The opposite longitudinal edges of said platform is provided with cleats 4, that serve to retain a work-supporting table 4!, which is removable for loading and unloading the work or articles C to be engraved. The table 4 is adjustable longitudinally and horizontally 4, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, for positioning the work C relatively to the engraving tools. The frame 5 comprises similar relatively tall columns or posts ,6, which are rigid on the base 2, and are spaced a considerable distance to the right 7 and the left of the bars 4. columns 6 are tied together nally disposed rail 6 The tops of the by a longitudiwhich parallels the parts are held rigidly by tively to the ends of the rail 6 and to the base 2. The movable frame 3 comprises a horizontal platform 7, which is disposed beneath and parallel to the platform 4 and Y the table 4, and is rigidly mounted on the tops of s1milar spaced and grooved bearing members 8, the said members in turn being 100 supported and movable longitudinally on similar members 8', by means of a plurality v on the platform of balls 8, which play in the facing grooves of the said members. The bearing members 8 are rigidly secured to the tops of transverse bearing members 9, which are movably supported on similar members 9, by means of balls 9% which play in the facing V grooves ofthe latter members. The bearing members 9 are rigidly secured to the base 2, and are therefore normally stationary.

Across the opposite ends of the platform 7 are rigidly mounted relatively deep cleats 7 upon which are mounted horizontal and longitudinal bars 10, which are held by the said cleats above and clear of thework C on the table 4. The table al is preferably provided with a number of longitudinal grooves c in which the work G is received and held during the engraving operations,

tion in one direction by rod 15 and the bars 10. are preferably disposed between said grooves;

The engraving is effected on a number of the articles C in' the same time by a plurality of similar engraving tools or needles 11, which are supported by the bars 10, and preferably arranged in pairs, and so arranged that the points of the said needles are always maintained in a common horizontal plane. The needles 11 depend from the lowerends of cylindrical plungers 12,

which are reciprocaloly and rotatably heldby vertical sleeve-like arms 13 of L-shaped brackets 13, the horizontal arms 13 of said brackets being disposed beneath and adjustably secured to the bars 10, by bolts The top ends of the plungers 12 are provided with horizontally disposed fingers 12, which are employed for lifting and holding the plungers awayfrom the work 0. The vertical movements of the plungers 12 are con" trolled by a plurality of arms 1 1, there being one of said arms foreach pair of "the plungers, the said arms preferably being disposed transversely of the bars 10 and their free ends being positioned between the ad jacent plungers 12.' Each arm lei is. provided near its free end with a U-shaped guard 14, between. the vertical arms of which the fingers 12 are disposed, and these guardsare so arranged as to allow the plungers 12 certain amount of rotary move ment, as maybe understood by the dilferent positions of the fingers, in 1 and 5.

The other ends of the arms 14 are rigidly base 2, and connects with a pedal (not shown). A spring 18 connects at one end to the rod 15 the other end thereof connect- ,ing to the adjacent cleat 7. The tension of the spring 18 is exerted for holding the arms 1 1 and the plungers 12 in their elevated positions, shown ni -full lines in Figs. 2, 3 and i, which is the released or idle position for the needles 11.

All of the parts supported by the cleats 7, including the gravitative needles 11 and their related and controlling parts are movable by and with the movable frame 3, and

'all of these parts in turn are moved and guided and controlled by a simple pantograph mechanism, which will now be described.

19 designates the tracer arm or lever, which is manipulated by the operator, the said arm being disposed horizontally beneath the several frames, and its forward end is fitted with the tracing needleor point 19, which the operator moves over the copy A duringthe engraving operations. The rear end of the arm 19 is pivotallyconnected to a vertically disposed lever 20, the top end of which is pivoted in a horizontal frame 21,

by a bolt 20.' The frame 21 is suspended on a bolt 22 which is carried by the middle portion of the rail 6, the said frame being. rockable on said-bolt by pivots 21, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Theupright lever 20 is operatively connected to the movable frame 3 by a substantially horizontal rod 23, the rear end of said rod comprising a yoke 23, which is pivoted to the lever 20 below the pivot 20'. The forward end of rod 23 is pivoted at 23 to an upright standard 2 1, which is mounted on the rail 10 nearest the front of the machine. "The pivot point 23 is adjustable vertically on the standard 24: by means of a bolt 25,'which plays'in aslot 25 in the standard, for varying them-ovements of the frame 3. The pantograp'h mechanism is adjustable in various ways which are not shown, because they are wellknown and are not important in the present case, since any suitable mechanism of the class may be employed in connection with my improvement.

The operation of the present machine, is

as follows: Assuming that the work-table 1 has been loaded with the work C, and placed in the machine, the operator depresses the the pressure on the pedal, while he traces the copy A with the point 19. As the point 19 follows the outlines of the letters and other characters of the copy A, the levers l9 and 20 are put through the several motions indicated by the full and dotted lines in the several figures of the drawings. This, owing to the connection of the lever 20 through the rod 23, with the movable frame 3, imparts to the said frame forward, backward and circular movements necessary to effect the reproduction of the characters of the copy A on the work 0 by the needles 11, as best seen in Fig. 1. When the operator has finished tracing the copy A, the pull on the cord 17 is relaxed and the spring 18 instantly rocks the shafts 15 in the opposite direction, which shifts the arms 14 from the dotted back to the full line position (see Fig. 1) and lifts all of the plungers l2 and needles 11 upwardly away from the work 0, where they are held by the spring 18 ready for the next engraving operation. The reproduction in the present case is on a greatly reduced scale, so that the movements of the frame 3 and the parts supported by it are very slight.

My engraving machine is extremely sim ple in construction and operation, and may be produced at slight expense. It is capable of performing rapid and accurate work, and by the novel disposition and arrangement of the several gravitative needles 11, the capacity of the present machine is many times greater than the older styles of engravers, which as a rule engrave but one article at a time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-- 1. In a multiple engraring machine, a stationary horizontal worksupporting table, a frame adapted for horizontal movements disposed beneath said table, cleats carried by said frame for elevating above said table a plurality of gravitative tools, said tools arranged in pairs, fingers carried by said tools, a rockingarm for each pair of tools having guards adapted to receive the fingers of said tools. shafts for supporting and operating said arms, means for depressing said arm for permitting said tools to gravitate toward said table, means for raising said arms for lifting said tools away from said table, and means for actuating said frame.

In a multiple engraving machine, a

frame adapted for universal movements in a horizontal plane, a plurality ,of gravitative engraving needles arranged in; pairs supported and moved horizontally by said frame, arms having U-shaped guards adapted for normally holding said needles away from the work, one of said arms disposed between and controlling each pair of said needles,

shafts supporting said arms, tension meansv for rocking said shafts against the tension 7 for depressing said arms and for permitting said needles to simultaneously gravitate to the engraving position, a work-supporting table disposed beneath the needles, and means for actuating said frame.

3. In a multiple engraving machine, a work-supporting table, means for adjusting said table, a movable frame including a platform disposed beneath said table, horizontal bars supported by said platform above and parallel to said table, rock-shafts disposed in a higher plane than said bars, cleats upon the frame for elevating the bars and rock shafts above the table, a plurality of arms carried by each shaft, their free ends overlapping said bars, U-shaped guards carried by said arms, a plurality of gravitative engraving tools mounted on said bars,

said tools arranged in pairs and having fingers which engage said guards, means for rocking said arms inthe direction for allowing said tools to gravitate toward said table, and tension means for rocking said arms in the opposite direction for lifting said tools away from the table.

4. In a multiple engraver, a frame adapted for universal movements in a horizontal plane, a stationary frame for adjustably supporting work to be engraved, a platform included in the movable frame disposed beneath the work-supporting parts, cleats mounted near the ends of said platform, horizontal bars supported by said cleats, a plurality of gravitative engraving tools adjustably mounted on said bars, said tools arranged in pairs, rocking shafts disposed above and parallel to said bars, arms carried by said shafts, the free ends of said arms disposed between each pair of engraving tools and provided with guards, fingers carried by said tools and adapted to rest on said guards while the tools are idle, and means for rocking said shafts for lowering saidguards and allowing said tools to gravitate toward the work. 7

5. In a multiple engraving machine, a plurality of gravitative engraving needles arranged in pairs, plungers supporting said needles and movable vertically, a finger carried by each plunger, a bracket supporting each plunger, horizontal bars supporting said brackets and maintaining the points ed for universal movements in a horizontal plane, rocking shafts journaled in said frame, arms carried by said shafts, the free end of each arm disposed between a pair of said plungers and "having a guard adapted to engage the fingers of saidplungers for lifting'said plungers away "from the Work after the engraving operations, means for Operating said arms for allowing said plungers t gravitate toward the work, a

plurality of ball-bearings on which said frame is held by gravity and is guided in a 10- horizontal p lane, and a tracer arm adapted for actuating said frame.

In testilno ny whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE H. FAI GHNEY. 

